


Steadfast in Loyalty and Ambition

by Shanynde



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-01-13 08:15:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shanynde/pseuds/Shanynde
Summary: A bunch of dabbles, both in and out of kayfabe about Triple H and his history with the WWE.  Deals with love, betrayal, ambition and his rise to the top.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If any of you have any prompts, please send them to me.

If wrestling was a sprint, then Foley won. No question about it. If it was a race for redemption, the award went to Shawn. If you wanted to make it into a Shakespearean tragedy, it went to Bret and if it was a history, it went to Ric (with a sequel for Charlotte). But if wrestling was a marathon then it went to him and Taker, and while Taker would always be revered as one of the best, he was the one who outlasted everyone. He evolved the most. He was leading the company to change, not just in, but out of the ring. 

If there was one word to describe him it was loyal. Loyal to his job, his wife, his friends, and now his daughters. His steadfast loyalty was unparalleled, though, like Darcy from his wife’s favorite book, his temper would perhaps be called resentful. His good opinion once lost, was lost forever. He did not seek out enemies but would never hesitate to defend those he loves and would often strike first to gain the advantage. He had chosen to marry into the McMahon family and needed to be the calm in the chaotic cacophony of endless drama and dysfunction. 

And so, he was steadfast in that duty. Steadfast to a wife and to his daughters. Steadfast to the legacy that he built over decades. For that legacy was upon which his daughters would inherit the company. The crown was his, he had won it and there was only one who had the power to sway his hand. Together, they had done more than anyone thought. It was upon their love and the love he had of the company that led him to where he was. And so, he would protect her. She would protect him. They would protect their daughters. Everyone else was secondary. He did not seek to be cruel, but it was the way of business. 

He had not sought the keys to the kingdom, merely the opportunity to rise to the top and to show his quality. But when the opportunity arose, he did not waste it. In doing that, he had won the race.


	2. The Kliq

Yes, the naysayers had it right. He did seek out Shawn Michaels when he arrived at the company. He needed to make a good impression and he wanted to be the best. To be the best, you align yourself with the best. And why not Shawn? He was the Heartbreak Kid, larger than life, a legend in the making, the future Mr. WrestleMania.  
It was true that Shawn was an asshole, an entitled dick who wrestled as if each match was his last, who tirelessly tried to outrun the demons that constantly nipped at his heels. And it was accurate to say he only allowed a select few to see beyond the persona that he created and wore like a second skin. But for those few, Shawn Michaels was the best man they knew, a kind and caring man. He enveloped his friends and pushed them higher. And his friends became his family. 

Nash was the older brother. He protected and was always down for a laugh. You could not ask for someone better to have your back. He was kind, non judging and was even more ambitious than him. He did not love the business the way the others did. He loved making money and being with his friends. He loved having fun. He just wanted to run as long as he could. 

Hall and X-Pac, they were his brothers but they had even more demons than Shawn did. He was loyal to them, well as much as he could be. There was a moment where he had to pull away from Hall during the dark period of drugs and depression. Vince made it clear that he was not to be involved because of the potential liability to the company. It had hurt, but until Hall wanted help-there was nothing he could do. He relied on Shawn, Nash and Kid to be there when he legally could not. After he recovered as was sober, he personally made the appeal to put Razor Ramon in the Hall of Fame. Vince had just shaken his head at that, but eventually agreed. The business attracted all kinds of lost souls, their traveling circus of sideshow freaks who were never content to stay in one place. It was a company where you chose your companions and they became your family and from that came a bond forged of understanding and acceptance. It was a world that few were privy too, even spouses and children did not fully understand it. You drove with them, fought, laughed, cleaned up their messes and put on amazing matches that would crystallize in memory. Those memories would never leave even when their bodies became old and broken from decades of abuse. 

They were a fellowship, adrenaline junkies always chasing the next high. But his drug of choice was the ring. Drugs, alcohol and pills would only hindered his chase to glory. But that did not mean that he wouldn’t go out, wouldn’t party and laugh. He wanted to be on top of the world. And the Kliq provided that opportunity. They elevated his skills and helped him fine tune his craft. He would never forget the moment that Vince appeared at the Hotel and he watched as his brothers explain how they would change the business. He tried to excuse himself, but Vince told him to stay. And so, he did. He offered suggestions and shared his view. He was not just an individual, he was becoming something better. He was someone would help to mold the company into something more real, something grittier. And then it all came crashing down.


	3. The Curtain Call

They were leaving. Jumping ship to WCW. A part of him could not blame them. Nash and Hall needed the money and they had to do what was best for them, for their families. Just as he once had to jump from WCW to WWF. But it was still hard. His brothers were leaving, and he needed to acknowledge it. Just because they were good and bad guys in the ring did not diminish the real-life bond that they had. They held each other up, their own fellowship. And so, Shawn and he had asked, and Vince had granted permission.

At Madison Square Garden, he and his brothers embraced in a moment of gratitude, pulling back the curtain between fantasy and reality. It did not matter the promotion they were in, the location or the distance, these men were his chosen family. His brothers. and while he was loyal to the business, at that moment, anyone who had a problem with it could, well, suck it. He was saying goodbye. He was not in the wrong. But to everyone else it was a slap in the face. It was the destruction of the business, the way people complained, you could compare the Curtain Call to the fall of Rome. It was the ultimate insult, people claimed. As if any wrestler had the ability to throw stones at him. Hypocrites, the lot of them. 

The next morning, Vince called him to the office. Vince looked grimmer than he had ever seen. He didn’t beat around the bush.

“I know I said it was okay, but every wrestler, booker, agent and most people from the office wants blood from the fiasco yesterday. I can’t ignore them.” Vince continued, “Nash and Hall are gone. Shawn’s champion, he’s untouchable. You, on the other hand, are not.”

“Are you going to fire me?”

“Was it worth it to you?”

“Yes,” there was no need to elaborate. That moment was the last time he would stand in the ring with his brothers. At least that was what he thought. He stood by his choice and that meant he had to take the punishment that Vince would throw at him. He had to bear this burden. The price of loyalty. 

“Anyone else I’d fire. But I don’t want to do that. Someone needs to keep Shawn in line, and you’re all he has left.”

He just sat there, frozen, waiting to see what would happen.

“Both you and Shawn will apologize to everyone in the locker room, every producer and every booker. I don’t care if you believe that you owe anyone an apology, it needs appear sincere. I need to make an example out of you. It might be easier for you if you quit.”

“I’m not quitting,” he snapped.

“You’ll go to the bottom of the roster. You won’t win a match for at least 9 months. You’re going to have to eat a lot of shit and you’re going to have to learn to like it.” Vince paused, “You sure you don’t want to quit?”

“Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I can handle it.”

“Are you sure?”

“If that is what is best for the business, then I can do anything.” 

Vince looked at him with a semblance of admiration. That changed everything. He apologized, pent a year losing and was insulted by nearly every member of the roster. His actions earned him the eternal hatred of Bret Hart (not that he didn’t already have that by throwing his lot in with Shawn), but by keeping his head down and silently enduring his punishment won him the respect of some of the boys, including Taker. He also grew closer with Shawn. Vince was right, he needed to take care of him. Shawn was struggling and needed someone in his corner. It was from that came one of their better ideas. A group that would benefit from their antics. D Generation X.


	4. DX and Chyna

NWO was powerful and they needed to counter it if they were going to win the war. They needed to bring an edgier audience and have them sustain the business. Who better than him and Shawn? They had humor, skill and were decidedly not PC (granted, in the world today, a lot of it had not aged well, but at least he never pitched bikini matches or sleeping with someone in the middle of the ring). Plus, they had a secret weapon. 

Joanie. Chyna. Whatever name you wanted to associate with her. She was something special. A broken bird, a brave competitor and she had loved him. 

And he loved her. Once. But that love turned to disgust and pity over the years. She had her demons, and those demons destroyed her. After everything she did to him, the allegations especially, he had no problem turning his back on her. He knew that many blamed him. And he was liable, at least partially. The guilt was never ending, and he tried not to think about it.

He sometimes wondered if the guilt he felt about her was like the guilt Shawn felt about Bret. To be the best, you sometimes needed to leave someone in the dust, or push someone down. When that happens, they can end up in dark places. That darkness consumed her. And he had a hand in it. 

If he hadn’t fallen for Steph, would it have been different? He moved on but she fell into a well of depression and poor choices that inevitably led to her death. Yes, she chose to make those movies and to take those drugs, but would she had done that if he had not fallen in love with Steph? That was something he would never know. She was the darkest stain in his past. He knew he was not 100% blameless and would carry the weight of her downfall and death on his shoulders till the day he died.

So, it was the three of them that started D Generation X. Nothing was sacred with them. But it sold well, and they could get away with whatever they wanted. They were making money and so Vince couldn’t really stop them. They should have been on top of the world. But Shawn was getting angrier and angrier. He was taking more pills and starting to fade. You would never see that in the ring. He was something to watch. And he and Vince understood each other better than most. Vince had a loyalty to Shawn that he never had to anyone else. For as many years as he was in the business, he never truly understood Shawn and Vince’s relationship. Vince could not stand Shawn half of the time, but he trusted him. And he had a vision of the business, and Shawn was on top of that. For that to happen, one of the most controversial and defining decisions were made with him in the room.


	5. Montreal

Bret was leaving for WCW. Thank God for that. The toxic and condescending feeling would soon be gone. At least, that was what he thought. He had no love for Bret. Bret hated him for his part in the Curtain Call, for his blind loyalty for Shawn and according to Bret, for being inappropriate, immature and an all-around idiot. They were entertainers, they were made to entertain. He would not apologize for doing his job or for his personality. 

Bret had no right to be so high and mighty all the time. He viewed Bret as a liar, a hypocrite. He was no better than any of them. He smoked, drank and slept around. Yet he thought he was better than Shawn. Bullshit. He could not wait till Bret left. 

There was one problem. Bret was champion and did not want to drop the belt to Shawn. As if it was his choice? The company was Vince’s, so Vince got the final say. Did he bitch when he was sent to the bottom of the ladder after the Curtain Call? No. He took his punishment, kept his head down and did what he was told. Yes, they might be men wearing tights and leather, but they had to be professional. No one was above Vince. You did what the boss told you to do. You could argue it, you could appeal it, but in the end, you were a character who did what they were ordered to do. To do anything else was as if you were spitting on your fellow wrestlers. 

So, when Vince called Shawn and told him that, he felt himself snap. 

“Fuck him.” He said without thinking.

The line on the other side went silent and Shawn’s eyes got wide as if he did not expect him to speak. He took the phone from his best friend and started to talk to the Boss. 

“Look, I know I shouldn’t be talking or that I should know any of this. But it isn’t his call. If he’s not willing to do business, we’ll do business for him.”

He and Shawn looked at each other and a bargain and a promise was made. 

“I’ll do whatever you ask.” Shawn said to Vince.

“What are you talking about?”

He nodded at Shawn. He would support him. Fuck everyone else.

“Whatever you want,” Shawn repeated. 

No one said anything. It was unnerving. When Vince was angry, he screamed, he paced, his face got red and he was in your face. But this? This was new. 

“Don’t talk about this with anyone,” Vince said in a harsh tone that held no room for disagreement. “I’ll see you later this week.” He hung up the phone, leaving the two brothers in arms to stare at each other.

“You with me?” Shawn asked.

“To hell and back,” he replied. 

The plan was set. Shawn would get Bret in a sharpshooter and the ref would call it. He would be waiting to get Shawn out and would be his shield. They were warned that it could get ugly, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. This would not be happening if Bret followed the wrestling code. Yes, he might be a selfish arrogant prick, but if there was anything he had learned, it was you respected this business that made you money. You walked away putting someone else over. And Bret was breaking that code. Oh sure, he said he would hand it over the next day, but what precedent would that set? No. No one was above the rules. You did what the boss asked or the boss made you. Simple as that. 

That afternoon was a regular day. It was the calm before the storm. The atmosphere felt normal, no one knew what had been planned. As he prepared, Vince walked up to him.

“You’ll get him out tonight.” It was not a question.

He nodded in response.

“Remember, this was my call. You knew nothing. And if you ever say that you did, I’ll fire your ass.”

There was nothing more to say after that. The show started, and pretty soon the deed was done. The bell rang, the ref made the call. Bret realized what happened and spit and later hit Vince. That wasn't his dilemma. His role was Shawn. He got Shawn to the dressing room and endured the intense cackling of Bret’s then wife as she berated him. He got Shawn out and the two of them drove to the hotel in silence. They had just helped Vince change the company.

No one was above the boss and now everyone would know it. It was a bleak reminder. You do not mess with the man in the back. Not unless the prize was worth it. 

And as much as he loved wrestling, it was not enough to challenge Vince on. 

No, the one thing he would challenge Vincent Kennedy McMahon on was the right to date, love and eventually marry his only daughter.


	6. Steph- part 1

He had met her, everyone had. It wasn’t a big deal. He was older than her by 7 years. She was just Vince’s kid. She started working for him when she was 14, but they kept her on the business side. When she graduated college, Vince had treated the locker room to champagne. Vince loved Shane, everyone knew it, but Steph was his joy.  
In the wrestling world, women were often disrespected and objectified. There were three roles, the Virgin, the Whore, and the Bitch. That was all they could really be. The sentiment bled backstage. Very few men were loyal to their spouses and respect for women was almost nonexistent. Hell, Vince cheated on Linda multiple times, so it was probably wise for Vince to keep Steph separate when she was younger. Rumor had it that Vince and Linda were hesitant to bring her over to the performance side. She had interned with them both and was sitting in meetings. One of the staff members made some sort of comment asking why she wasn’t in the ring when she had a better ass than most of the other divas. Vince (the father) had a good reason to argue that his daughter should not be involved. Vince (the businessman) did not.

Plus, Steph wanted to be involved. She loved the business. She wanted to make her family proud and prove that she was worthy of the name McMahon. She started on TV as a babyface. She wore the ugliest shoes and her clothes were bulky and unattractive. Looking back, maybe that was Vince’s plan to get everyone to ignore her. He might do the same if his daughters ever decided that they wanted to be a part of their parents’ world. 

But then came the relationship with Test. It was terrible and everyone knew it. Vince was looking for any way to get out of it. He and Vince had a good relationship and he pitched an idea. Have him marry Steph, ruin the wedding and use it to get a fight at Armageddon. It was all about his career and had nothing to do with Steph. Vince didn’t have a better idea, so they went with that. 

It was never meant to be something. She was quiet and professional when they filmed the Vegas wedding. She did a great job when he ruined the wedding on air. They thought that was that, but then the strangest thing happened. The crowd turned on her. Hard. She didn’t flinch. She stuck to the character.

He had been at the gorilla with Vince and Shane. The crowd was roaring as Steph proclaimed her innocence. They were calling her slut and whore, and Steph continued as if she had been doing this for years. He looked at Vince, not willing to be the one who said what both were thinking. 

Thankfully, Vince said it. “She needs to be a heel,” he declared.

Shane looked at his father like he had grown two heads. “You’re crazy. They’ll rip her to shreds.” 

“She could handle it,” Vince replied. 

“Dad,” Shane implored, “Don’t do this.”

Before anything else could be said, Steph came backstage, a huge smile on her face. She walked straight up to Vince and said, shocking everyone, “I need to be a heel.”

“Steph,” Shane started looking worried.

She ignored him and kept her eye on Vince, “It could work. Dad make it my choice. I wanted to get back at you for being a terrible parent.”

“I did almost sell you to the Undertaker.” Vince conceded. 

He found himself talking, “You help me win at Armageddon. You married the man your father hated.”

“And used that hatred to hurt my family and run this business.” She finished his thought. Eventually, they would be able to communicate with just one look. They were being paired together, for better or worse. 

“It could work,” Vince was smiling now. “Imagine the possibilities.” 

“Steph,” Shane interjected. “They’ll call you a slut.”

“It’s just a character, Shane. I’m not a slut so it won’t matter.” Yet, eventually, those words would be aimed at her, not her character. And she would have to continue on. How little they had known then. Not one of the 4 people in that conversation realized the depth of change that would occur. Eventually, the heir would be replaced by the spare and he would be holding her hand to guide her. This was the day that his and Steph's fates became intertwined. Forever.


End file.
